Nowadays kids short on good manners
What a gwaan, mi Jamaican friends? How unuh do? You remember back in the golden days when pickney had to say ‘good morning’, ‘how is yuh?’, ‘I’m fine’ and ‘tenk yuh’!? Nowadays children only know how to give yuh headache, feisty and back chat yuh! Tings and times have changed. Some children nowadays nuh know nutten bout proper brawtupcy. But then again, you can’t totally blame di poor pickney dem cause “chip nuh fall far from the block” and “children live what they learn!” Amen?!!!
The other day, one piece a calamity on a JUTC bus with a schoolboy and an old lady. The elderly woman came on the already packed bus and asked a little boy to give her his seat. He could have easily passed for a first former.
I didn’t realise what was going on at first as I was jamming to the beat of the radio, trying not to concentrate on the fact that I was standing and already tired. My attention was drawn when the schoolgirl beside him say, “Get up! The sign always deh pon di window deh so!” She was pointing to the window that normally holds a sign telling people to give their seats to the disabled or the elderly. The little boy sat for a couple seconds, and hissed his teeth before getting up. His eyes were red and glossy. I could see him fighting back the tears. I actually pitied him and, of course, some of the passengers didn’t hold back. They just went on and on!
The man that sat beside him said, “Yuh nuh see the bwoy kiss him teeth!?!” He shook his head and continued eating his peanut.
Another woman took the baton and continued, “Dats why me nuh deal with dem nowadays pickney yah. Dem too ‘renk’ and bright! Dem nah no man- ners!” Her body language was saying a lot, and if she could beat the little boy, I think she would.
The little boy continued to fight back his tears and kept shaking his head. All that was going through my head was that he may be wrong for not giving up his seat initially based on the type of seat it was. However, the fact is that he paid fare also and was entitled to a seat. Also, no one knew what kind of day the poor child might have had or if he had an injury or something. I’m just saying! Sometimes we have to look at the picture from a different angle; even upside down if you have to. stargossipchica@gmail.com